On the road and some Guamo

Matt and Kai arrived to help Miguel organise the campaign, work on the strategy for the upcoming year and buy Tabi and Guamo seedlings. On the way to the farm, the three of them stopped to gather Guamo seeds by the side of the road. It is common to see Guamo planted in Colombian coffee plantations. Scientifically classified as Inga edulis, it is a shade tree used in alley cropping techniques to restore soil fertility, due to it being a nitrogen fixing species. Their branches create a broad and dense canopy, shading the coffee trees beneath them. The guamo bear fruit pods containing black seeds. Each of these seeds is encased in a thick white pulp that tastes like vanilla ice cream!

Farm update:

The workers at El Fénix have started clearing the far north lot, removing old plantain trees, ferns, and remnants of old coffee trees. Once the lot is cleared, it will be ready for Tabis to be planted. As we’re almost there, Gabby and Miguel have now marked off the lower boundaries of the lot and planted the first seedlings.